Graat and Team Visma | Lease a Bike aim for day successes in Tour de Suisse
This Sunday, Team Visma | Lease a Bike will line up for the next multi-day stage race on the calendar: the Tour de Suisse. Tijmen Graat is part of the team after completing a high-altitude training camp. We sat down with the young rider and sports director Maarten Wynants to look ahead.
The 22-year-old Graat moved up from the Development Team to the WorldTeam of the yellow-and-black formation last winter. After a challenging start, the Dutchman has begun to find his rhythm. “The level is quite different from what I was used to. I can feel myself improving, and I’ve already been able to contribute in some meaningful ways to the team in recent races”, Graat says.
Graat spent three years with the Development Team and is part of the same generation as Menno Huising, Jørgen Nordhagen, and Matthew Brennan. “It’s great to see those guys doing well at the highest level too. It was a big advantage that I really got to know the team’s way of working over those three years. Combined with doing a few races with the WorldTeam last year, it made the transition this winter a lot smoother”, the talent explains.
"Tiesj and I have already been speculating about the upcoming stages"
“Strade Bianche has been one of my best experiences so far”, Graat smiles. “It was my first real big classic at the highest level. I managed to hang on fairly deep into the final. Later I gave my bike to Ben Tulett when he had a puncture. Contributing to the team in such a way is also special. I’ll never forget that moment.”
The Tour de Suisse will be Graat’s third WorldTour stage race. “I’m really looking forward to it. I haven’t raced since the Tour de Romandie six weeks ago. I’ve been on an altitude camp with the Tour de France squad. Tiesj and I have already been speculating about the upcoming stages. Hopefully I can compete for a stage win from the breakaway. I’ll be at the start with confidence, for sure.”
Team Visma | Lease a Bike heads to Switzerland without a protected team leader. Sports director Wynants explains: “Jonas and Matteo are racing the Dauphiné, Simon is preparing for the Tour. That opens up opportunities for our other riders to step up and aim for personal results. That includes riders like Tijmen and Tiesj. Every day we’ll make a solid plan to get the most out of it. We’re definitely not just here to fill up the peloton. We’re aiming for stage success.”
"We’re definitely not just here to fill up the peloton"
“We’ll also have to see how the riders have recovered from the Giro d’Italia. If Bart is feeling good, he could go for a strong general classification. He proved at last year’s UAE Tour that he can do that at WorldTour level. For Tiesj, this is the final preparation for the Tour de France, so he’ll definitely want to test himself here. We’ll take it day by day”, Wynants concludes.
Alongside Tijmen Graat, the Tour de Suisse squad for Team Visma | Lease a Bike includes: Tiesj Benoot, Steven Kruijswijk, Julien Vermote, Thomas Gloag, Bart Lemmen, and Menno Huising.
